The Prospector 10 05 2021

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CDC says to get COVID-19 booster shot: Here’s how.

Homecoming: Miners rally past the Monarchs

Once a Miner, always a Miner - In memoriam of Dr. John T. Farraro.

VOL. 107, NO. 4 OCTOBER 5, 2021 Assayer of Student Opinion

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

theprospectordaily.com

A Legacy of Excellence: Remembering Diana Natalicio Page 6 - 7. Diana Natalicio: A timeline dedicated to the former president of the University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP President Dr. Diana Natalicio announced her retirement from the university May 22, 2018.

PHOTO BY PRISCILLA GOMEZ/THE PROSPECTOR

PAGE 2 · OCTOBER 5, 2021· THE PROSPECTOR

Opinion

Julian Herrera, editor in chief

Making the most before giving your ghost

BY JULIAN HERRERA The Prospector

Navigating the complex reality of life and the mental, physical and emotional undertakings therein is such a universal experience that there is an entire field of study dedicated to merely pondering the innumerable ways in which one could approach each minute aspect of living to achieve some desired enlightenment, or at least quell the burning questions. As humans, few things entice, engage and utterly destroy us and the security we have in our significance like the unknown. In fact, many with a less sound mind might be willing to perform the most fringe of actions in the face of guaranteed consequences rather than attempt to cope with something they do not understand. For as many as there are who ponder life, there are as many who have attempted to ra-

tionalize the indiscriminate nature and inevitability of death.

With the true arrival of decorations and festivities for October, accompanied by the often-welcome change in weather that beckons chilling ambiance and cozy nights ahead, I had hoped to make light and interesting conversation regard-

ing the season and its significance culturally and to me personally.

However, after reflection upon a few of my private sorrows and the sincere expressions of grief and loss in the print edition of this paper, I believe it’s important to recognize that even in the most consuming darkness with only miniscule streams of light in the impossible distance, the lights still serve as guidance to finding a way out.

It seems that the proclivity of our society is to walk a cyclic cynical route of asserting that actions have no true value or consequence when everything comes with a price, or ultimately means nothing at all. The theistic inclination is to conclude there is a plan, a fate, which we are set to accept but never truly understand, which feels like a blessing when things go our way or subjugation and forsaking when they do not. Maybe it’s due to the fact we

are given no choice whether we live or die that we try to rationalize our idea of free will and control over what we can manipulate, and as reasoning beings we are afforded the comfort of deciding what to believe.

However grim this may seem, there is always hope, or at least optimism in the faults like a metaphorical kintsugi piece. For those that think nothing means anything, by that same logic, anything can mean anything you want, and the significance of the world is entirely defined by your own will and intentions. If we are one way or another destined for an end, there is no reason we should neglect finding the most fascinating and enriching means to reach it. Walking funny to find the crunchiest leaf to step on, the smell of a new book, the fibers of a worn-out blanket that will undoubtedly always be your

favorite — sometimes the quiet spaces where emotion supersedes the thought are the most serene and significant. There are no answers to what life is about, but it is far more beautiful to know that the one true liberty we have is to discover our own reasons for living.

It’s likely that most people will not have jewels sewn into their funeral gowns, but the trees we plant shall bear fruit for those that succeed us, and the memories and advice we give our young will give a new world a chance to be better than we ever could conceive. We are gifted with the choice of how we live a life we didn’t choose to live — and while we are given no choice in the time or finality of death, we can find solace and peace within, letting the legacy of our actions live in this life and embrace eternal rest the next. Memento vivere.

Julian Herrera may be reached at prospector@utep.edu

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C O M I C B Y A N A J . C A L D E R A S

VOL. 107, No. 4 October 5, 2021 EDITORS & STAFF Julian Herrera, Editor in Chief Hugo Hinojosa, Layout Editor Victoria Rivas, Entertainment Editor Maria Luisa Guerrero, Web Editor Alberto Silva Fernandez, Photo Editor Anahy Diaz, Multimedia Editor Emily Autumn Velasquez, Sports Editor Maria Salette Ontiveros, Audience & Engagement

Itzel Giron, Staff Reporter Daniel A. Lopez, Staff Reporterv Victoria Rivas, Staff Reporter Levi Carlos, Staff Reporter

PHOTOGRAPHERS Connor Marinez Annabella Mireles

VIDEOGRAPHER ADMINISTRATION Veronica Gonzalez, Director Tracy Roy, Assistant Director Amy Bocanegra, Admin. Secretary Isabel Castillo, Accounting Specialist Vacant, Account Executive Vacant, Advertising Coordinator

Vacant

E M A I L : A J C A L D E R A S @ M I N E R S . U T E P. E D U

SP E A K YO U R M IND! …and submit a letter for publication. Please include your full name, street address, telephone number and e-mail address, as well as your student major, classification and/or titile if applicable. Write us to 105 E. Union, prospector@utep.edu, call us to 747-516, or send a fax to 747-8031.

Personal information (phone numbers and address) will be used for identification only.

Letters are subject to editing to fit available space, clarity and brevity.

CONTRIBUTORS Kristen Shaeffer Eli Nuñez Julia Lucero Alyson Rodriguez Eduardo Flores Katrina Villareal

The Prospector is published by the Student Media and Publications Board, 105 Union East, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas, 79968. The Prospector appears in print once per week on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper is not printed during holidays and when classes are not in session. The Prospector does provide news online at www.theprospectordaily.com.

The Prospector is provided to students through student fees. First copy is free. Any additional copies, if available, must be purchased for $1 through the Department of Student Media and Publications. The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information may be obtained by calling the Prospector at 915-747-5161. Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessary those of the university.

THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021

NEWS Page 3

I-10 project clashes with Sunset Heights neighborhood

BY LEVI CARLOS The Prospector

The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Downtown 10 projects may destroy parts of the historic Sunset Heights neighborhood. Community members of Sunset Heights dispute the need for the project and oppose the expansion of I-10.

“The thing that they focus on the most is projected future traffic, but we dispute at how they arrived at those projections,” said Sito Negron, president of the Sunset Heights Neighborhood Improvement Association (SHNIA).

Fact sheets provided by TxDOT explain the need for expansion is due to El Paso’s growth and the need to improve outdated infrastructure. TxDOT estimates 303,000 cars will be on the road each day by 2042 at an average travel speed of 28 miles per hour.

This data provided by TxDOT was produced from traffic cams as well as data from independent sources and studies done though TxDOT. These independent sources include the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“The Downtown 10 traffic analysis is in the process actually to get out there and do some traffic cams and is going to take about six months to finalize that study for the current project,” said Hugo

PHOTO BY ALBERTO SILVA FERNANDEZ /THE PROSPECTOR According to TxDOT, more than 300,000 cars will be on the road each day by 2042 at an average travel speed of 28 miles per hour.

Hernandez, project manager of the Downtown 10 project.

The information that TxDOT provided from the I-10 corridor study “Reimagine I-10” is what initiated the Downtown 10 project.

“The Reimagine I-10 was a 55mile study of I-10 from the Texas/ New Mexico state line to Tornillo,” said Lauren Macias-Cervantes, information specialist with TxDOT. “Downtown 10... is the first project that resulted from that study.”

Community members of Sunset Heights feel that the project is expensive, destructive and inconvenient.

“It is going to take years to construct it if they build it the way they say they are talking about

building it and shut the highway down at different times for a result that doesn’t necessarily improve traffic and definitely doesn’t benefit the neighborhood in and around downtown,” said Negron.

TxDOT conducted similar studies when proposing the construction of Loop 375 in the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) area of I-10.

In 2004, TxDOT conducted the Loop 375 César Chávez Highway (Border Highway West) Extension Interstate Highway 10 and Schuster Avenue Intersection Improvements Feasibility Study for that purpose.

It looked at the interchange from I-10 to Loop 375 for the purpose of alleviating congestion for the

UTEP area as well as for the medical district and the surrounding neighborhoods.

The study found “interim improvements” that would allow for connection to the Border Highway.

The traffic study for Reimagine I-10 does factor in Loop 375 even though it is not represented in the video for future traffic projections.

“It will provide some relief, but at the end of the day, by 2045 the I-10 within the Downtown 10 limits are still going to give us a lot of congestion and are going to fail our level of service,” said Hernandez.

Residents of Sunset Heights agree that there is a need to fix outdated infrastructure, but they do not think that TxDOT has proven the

need for expansion.

“The highway project itself had different components, so one component is widening the highway itself adding a lane in each direction,” Negron said. “Another component is adding frontage roads like suburban frontage roads that you see next to the mall, and another component is reconstruction of the road surface itself. The reconstruction part of that we are not necessarily opposed to.”

Community members of Sunset Heights are trying to stop this project in different ways.

“We’re doing what their process allows us to do, which is making comments whenever there’s an opportunity to do so and letting our elected officials and whoever else we can know what our concerns are,” said Negron.

TxDOT is reaching out to the community to listen to concerns of this project in the summer of 2022 and is planning to have an alternative to present to the public at that time.

Learn more at https://www. reimaginei10.com/downtown10. html. You can find out more about the Sunset Heights Neighborhood Improvement Association from their Facebook page.

Levi Carlos may be reached at prospector@utep.edu

WANT TO SHAPE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY? APPLY FOR A PRESTIGIOUS STUDENT LEADER POSITION!

The UTEP Student Government Association is currently soliciting applications for two state-level positions.

Current UTEP students who will be enrolled again next year and are in good academic standing may apply:

Student Representative to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) The Student selected for this non-voting position will serve alongside members of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Student Regent for The University of Texas System The UT System Student Regent has the same rights as regularly appointed board members, except the right to vote or be counted towards a quorum for official board business.

Are you interested and in good academic standing?

The UTEP SGA recruitment sites have the timeline and only online applications submitted through Minetracker will be accepted. The application for each position is available through Minertracker. For additional information, contact SGA at 747-5584, email sga@utep.edu, or stop by Union East Building, Room 304.

Deadline to apply through Minetracker is Monday, November 1, 2021 at 5pm MST.

THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021

Page 4 NEWS

BY ITZEL GIRON The Prospector

Dr. John T. Farraro, 91, was a proud Texas Western Alumni, an esteemed Professor of Metallurgy at UTEP and most importantly a father figure, not only to his own children but to many students who crossed his path.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELICA FARRARO

Farraro died Aug. 19, 2021, leaving only the best memories to remember him by, along with his resilience as a reminder that anything is possible.

After serving in the U.S. Army for three years, Farraro entered Texas Western in 1953 on the G.I. Bill where he received his Science Degree in Chemistry. Eventually, he would receive his master’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering and later his Ph.D. in Geology.

“It took him a decade to finish his doctoral degree, we had just gotten married, and we were raising a family,” said Lucy Farraro, John’s wife.

“He always valued his education, even if it took him longer than expected.”

From teaching chemistry in his early years to becoming chief metallurgist at the Phelps Dodge copper refinery, Farraro always found ways to connect with so many for years.

He accepted everyone [in the University] for who they were.

It was acceptance without judgement; he was a mirror of guidance.

Angelica Farraro, daughter.

“He accepted everyone there for who they were and never tried to change them into someone they weren’t,” said daughter Angelica Farraro. “It was acceptance without judgement; he was a mirror of guidance.”

Able to sustain relationships with students, Farraro made impacts on the lives of so many even with a short teaching career at the university level.

“For the time he was teaching there [UTEP], a lot of students reached out to him even after they

had graduated,” said Angelica. “I remember students coming to our home to talk to him because they saw him as a father figure, for lack of a better word.”

Remaining humble in both his actions and words, Farraro was adored by many, from his guidance to his love of photography and old cars. Farraro left a lasting impression in the hearts of many. Even with those who weren’t fortunate enough to meet him, a lesson can still be learned by the career and life he led.

“He was raising a family of his own and took on two other kids when he married my mother, even-tually having one more child later on, but at the end of the day, education has no expiration date,” said Angelica.

“You never give up on your dream, even when obstacles are in the way,” said Lucy. “He was only 62 when he received his Ph.D., so if anything, he shows us all what resilience is.”

Itzel Giron may be reached at may be reached at prospector@utep.edu. or @itzel_anahi_16 on Twitter

In memoriam of Lizbeth Avila

BY ITZEL GIRON Staff Reporter

UTEP student Lizbeth Avila, 22, is being remembered as a beautiful, radiant, confident and fearless person in the words of her family and friends.

According to a KTSM report, Avila suffered severe head trauma due to a skating accident at a local skate park back on Aug. 26. Eventually succumbing to her injuries, Avila died early morning Aug. 27 leaving many with immense pain

but most importantly holding onto every memory left of her.

“I met Liz freshman year back in 2018, here at UTEP. I was sitting down in geology class when she sat down next to me, and we found so much common ground,” said best

friend Stephanie Cisneros. “I feel like I’ll never be able to really put into words how much our friendship meant to me.”

Being only one of many special connections made across her lifetime, Avila continued to grow with others across the board. From family relationships to others around her, Lizbeth always remained positive and caring to everyone who crossed paths with her.

“She was so loving; she only ever talked highly of her dad, cousins and other friends she met along the way. She really never had anything bad to say about anyone, no matter who,” said Cisneros. “She was just so kindhearted and unapologetically herself.”

The infectious energy Lizbeth radiated is something that cousin Briana Soto will hold onto for years to come.

“Liz was such a vital part of my life and showed me a different side of life,” said Soto. “She’s everything I hope to be, I’ll always hold onto her memory and the role she played

in my life.”

With her sudden death, family and friends have shown their support in preventing something like this from ever happening to anyone else in the skating community.

“We all want to bring awareness to wearing your helmet; this incident could have easily been avoided if helmets were more encouraged around skate parks.” said Soto.

“I know it’s not something that’s cool or in, but our family believes a helmet could have saved her life that day.”

Along with awareness, Soto and Cisneros hope to continue Avila’s legacy by looking back on the best parts of her. From her fearlessness to her optimism, Lizbeth continues to be a light during dark times.

“She wasn’t scared of anything, not of failure, not of others’ opinions, not even the future. She always lived for now,” said Cisneros.

“She lived her life with no limitations, all while being responsible.”

Itzel Giron may be reached at may be reached at prospector@utep.edu. or @itzel_anahi_16 on Twitter

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIANA SOTO

THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021

NEWS Page 5

CDC recommends COVID-19 booster shot

BY JULIA LUCERO The Prospector

Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled CDC Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel and recommends COVID-19 booster for people that are at a high risk due to their occupation.

The CDC recommends vaccinated individuals 18 to 64 –years old who are at a high risk of contracting COVID-19 due to their occupational or institutional setting should receive their booster shot, according to a CDC statement on ACIP booster recommendations.

“As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact,” Walensky said.”At CDC, we are tasked with analyzing complex, often imperfect data to make concrete recommendations that optimize health. In a pandemic, even with uncertainty, we must take actions that we anticipate will do the greatest good.”

In an ACIP panel meeting Sept.

23, the majority voted against recommending this group of individuals for a booster shot.

“I don‘t think it’s going to address the issue of the pandemic, I really think it’s just going to create more confusion on the provider and the physician implantation level,” said ACIP member Jason Goldman,

M.D. “And I really think it’s going really far field of the data and what we are trying to accomplish from a public health perspective.”

Other ACIP members were on board with recommending these individuals get the booster.

“Having the ability, the option to give the health care workers the third dose, not mandating it but giving that option, helps us maintain our staffing,” Helen Keipp Talbot, M.D., ACIP member said in the release.

The FDA amended emergency use authorization for the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals at a higher risk Sept.

22, such as people 64–years old and older, immunocompromised individuals 18 to 64-years-old, and those 18 to 64-years-old at higher risk due to their frequent occupational and institutional risk.

“After considering the totality of the available scientific evidence and the deliberations of our advisory committee of independent, external experts, the FDA amended the EUA for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for a booster dose in certain populations such as health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others,” acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D, said.

ILLUSTRATION BY HUGO HINOJOSA VIA CANVA

COVID-19 booster shots have started to be given out around the El Paso area for people 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions

President Joe Biden encourages individuals of high risk that have received both doses of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to get the booster.

“So my message today is this, if you’ve got the Pfizer vaccine in January, February, or March of this year and you’re over 65 years of age, go get the booster. Or if you have a medical condition like diabetes, or you’re a frontline worker, like a healthcare worker or teacher, you can get a free booster now,” Biden said in a press briefing on Sept. 24.

Biden stated that 80,000 locations

in the United States will be providing booster shots, including 40,000 pharmacies nationwide.

In El Paso, individuals that meet CDC booster guidelines may receive their third dose at CVS and Walgreens.

“And like your first and second shot, the booster shot is free and easily accessible,” Biden said.

People that have received Moderna and Johnson&Johnson vaccines are recommended to wait on third doses as the CDC is still analyzing data on how to proceed with these individuals.

“Today, ACIP only reviewed data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

We will address, with the same sense of urgency, recommendations for the Moderna and J&J vaccines as soon as those data are available,” Walensky said.

With flu season rolling around, people are recommended to vaccinate for that virus as well.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President Anthony Fauci, M.D., addressed concerns on receiving both COVID-19 vaccine/booster and the flu vaccine in an interview with CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer.

“What you should do is get it as soon as you can and in the most expeditious manner,” Fauci said.

“If that means going in and the flu shot in one arm the COVID shot in the other that‘s perfectly fine.

There’s nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, that might make it more convenient and make it more likely that you would actually go get both of them if you could do it conveniently in one visit. So whatever it takes to get both of them go ahead and do it. If it’s one visit it‘s perfectly fine.”

To schedule your COVID-19 booster shot, visit the Walgreens or CVS website.

Julia Lucero may be reached at jmay be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

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Diana Natalicio.

A restless silence nestled itself in every crevice of The University of Texas at El Paso following the passing of former president Diana Natalicio, Ph.D., at the age of 82 on Sept. 24, 2021.

BY JULIAN HERRERA The Prospector

Though the wind-bent tree branches, inviting the onset of autumn in the borderland, and many flowers upon Natalicio’s memorial wreath in the center of Centennial Plaza softly fluttered, there was no other sound. The breath of the campus was still, preceding a wailing that could not be heard but was palpable in every heart.

The morning’s idle chatter was beset with an impenetrable fog, the space in which an inevitable conversation was set to take place — and while all were aware of its presence, no one was truly prepared to acknowledge it, fearing the weight of it might just be too much.

But few had the presence and character that shattered silence and barriers like Diana Natalicio.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a family of modest means in 1939, Natalicio began work as a switchboard operator directly out of high school. In the first of a lifetime worth of groundbreaking decisions defying complacency in pursuit of progress, Natalicio enrolled in the private Saint Louis University and graduated in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She proceeded to receive a Fullbright Scholarship, studying in Brazil and earning her master’s degree in Portuguese before returning to the U.S. to earn a doctorate in linguistic at the University of Texas at Austin.

Natalicio became a professor of linguistics at UTEP in 1971, quickly becoming chair of the modern languages department two years later, followed by time as the dean of liberal arts and vice president for academic affairs.

She was officially appointed president by the University of Texas Board of Regents in 1988, cementing what would become a true legacy in the national history of higher education and a bounding leap in the advancement of historically underrepresented individuals.

At the time of her retirement in 2019, Natalicio’s 31-year tenure as the UTEP president stood as the sixth-longest of any public doctoral

and research university president in to serve. As history would prove programs. Natalicio placed great history, coinciding with her place as to the astonishment and praise of emphasis on external partnerships the longest term a female president many that believed one came at the with prestigious companies and of a doctoral and research universacrifice of the other, UTEP thrived businesses that have become key sity or four-year public university as it coalesced social and cultural to the expansion and improveserved, and the first female presirecognition with engaging and ment of not only the city, but the dent of UTEP. innovative instruction and experilives of students that now have the During an interview with Uniences, influencing and eventually credentials to cultivate a diverse versity Communications regarding becoming the foundation for many workforce. her 30th anniversary as president, universities that adapted this sucThe university has grown substanNatalicio referred to herself as cess model. tially, in both size and influence, the “improbable candidate” while The result of Natalicio’s commitsince Natalicio became president. reflecting on The student the day she was body has inselected for the creased from position.

15,000 to Natalicio’s 25,000, 164 encouragepartnerships ment and and internDr. Natalicio’s life is a prime example that one advocacy for ships around the improbable the world person can make a difference. She led UTEP candidates, the have been through a transformative process that affected the disadvantaged established, lives of thousands of people, including my own. and marginaland UTEP ized is what generates My Abuelita, an immigrant with a second grade propelled over a billion education, always instilled in me the drive for UTEP to dollars for the the forefront local econhigher education because it was something she of academic omy annuhad not been privileged to have, but knew had the representation ally. However, and among the among these power to change our lives. It was Dr. Natalicio’s most impactful achievements philosophy and work that made my Abuelita’s Hispanic Servoverseen and ing Institutions impacted by dream of higher education for me a real thing and (HSI) in the Natalicio’s transformed not just my life, but the trajectory of nation. influence is my family.

While many UTEP receivinstitutions of ing an R1 top higher educatier doctoral tion champion research unitheir success in versity clasMs. Andrea Cortinas, Vice President and Chief of Staff diversity and sification by accessibility, it the Carnegie was not always Classification the standard, of Institutions and even now of Higher many Hispanics and people of ment to her inclusive philosophy Education, indicating that the color remain underrepresented is an HSI with a student body university has attained the most in colleges and universities across comprised of over 83% Hispanic prodigious standard for academic the country. Natalicio, a fervent individuals, at least 49% of whom research excellence and output, believer in “access and excellence,” are first-generation college students, something Natalicio strived for insisted that opportunity should providing a true reflection of the since the beginning. be granted invariably and UTEP cultures and identities that popuDuring her tenure, Natalicio acwould rise as an institution that late the city. cumulated a multitude of accolades provided both a holistic, quality Just as important as the education and honorary recognitions for the academic and research experience afforded to the students at UTEP ways in which she impacted her while maintaining accessibility are the opportunities available community and society at large. to the community that it stands upon completing their respective Among the most notable are her

appointments to the Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans by President George H.W. Bush and the National Science Board by President Bill Clinton. TIME magazine listed Natalicio among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016, and she was subsequently featured in Fortune magazine’s Top 50 World Leaders in 2017.

The Carnegie Corporation, the President of Mexico, and the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame are only a few others that have held Natalicio and her efforts in the highest regard with the utmost respect.

Although, it is possibly the impact that Natalicio had on the lives of innumerable students, faculty, staff and UTEP that overall is the greatest monument to her legacy. The effect her work had on the way institutions of higher education develop their curriculum and acknowledged the social and cultural significance of their communities is evident in even the most recent Executive Order by the Biden administration regarding the advancement of educational equity and opportunity for Hispanics, fully recognizing the potential and insight of underrepresented communities, just as she wanted for her own.

Diana Natalicio dedicated most of her life to those that longed for a chance to achieve, with a dream to accomplish, a desire to be liberated by knowledge and given the opportunity to create a life that otherwise may never have existed.

Her work has brought together some of the most innovative minds and unique voices under a shared identity as UTEP Miners. Those that she chose to believe in have gone on to create a better world, shaping a future that nurtures the intelligence and aspirations of even the most disadvantaged, and gives us all a chance at a better life.

For this, we can never thank her enough.

Julian Herrera may be reached at prospector@utep.edu; jay_at_utep on Instagram.

Dr. Natalicio throughout nearly 50 years of service at UTEP. 1988.

Natalicio is appointed President by UT Board of Regents.

1988

1990

1991.

She is appointed

by President George H. W. Bush to the Advisory Comimission on Educational Excellence of Hispanics Americans

1991

2013.

Sworn in as board chair of the American Council on Education, the largest national higher education organization

2011.

She Received the Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca, the highest honor bestowed on foreign nationals by the president of Mexico.

1998.

Natalicio celebrates her 10th anniversaty as UTEP President.

1995

1998

2000

2011

2013

DR. ROBERT A. KIRKEN Dean of College of Science

“I would love to provide thoughtful and meaningful comments that Dr. Natalicio deserves, but I am at a loss for words to adequately convey how much she meant to me. On a general note, I will forever remain impressed by her, her love of students, passion for science, her endless commitment to the community and her relentless effort to support all of the above (and be successful) for half a century.

I will forever be jealous of her public speaking, consistent messaging, ability to comprehend large and diverse topics, use data to inform her decisions, her focus and to stay the course, regardless

of the pushback. She had a wonderful laugh that I can still hear in my head!

On more practical terms Former President Natalicio was an amazing and approachable leader that had a vision of higher education that was not in fashion for her time. Her inner strength and determination saw her dream realized that all students, regardless of their backgrounds, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status would have access to an affordable education that would make them competitive on the world stage.

She believed in, developed, and defended concepts including inclusion, social mobility, opportunities for first generation students, access and excellence that many

take for granted today. I am thankful she did not and championed them her entire career.

I remember my first interaction with Dr. Natalicio when I interviewed for the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. I remember coming to UTEP with limited expectations and after just 30 minutes of conversation with her, chatting with the students, and listening to the faculty reflecting her vision, I became a “believer” and knew that I needed to come to UTEP and join her on this important mission.

One aspect that I always admired about her was that she wanted to attain Carnegie R1 status, not for her prestige, but what it would mean for the brand recognition of

the degrees earned by the students and thus better their opportunities in life. I also appreciated how she managed to attain this status as a research-intensive university, and did so without sacrificing other university programs. She always told me, “We will get there in our own time and at our own pace”.

She was true to her word.

Dr. Natalicio did more than provide me with incredible academic opportunities to work with the faculty staff and students during my 15 years at UTEP, she brought me and my family to a wonderful community grow and appreciate new cultures and experiences that I had never known before. I am very appreciative of this unexpected outcome of my hire.”

DR. DENIS O’HEARN Dean of Liberal Arts, Professor of Sociology

“Diana Natalicio was a supporter of Liberal Arts and a friend. Since I came to UTEP, she encouraged our College to think outside of the box and to sort of shake things up in several areas tied to UTEP’s mission of access and excellence. We had plans to increase our community engagement by getting more of our faculty and students to get off of the campus to do projects in the communities of Paso del Norte.

And we wanted to get people back into the habit of going to Juarez and working with our colleagues and in our communities across the border. She was a huge supporter of both of these initiatives. We missed her professionally when she stepped down as President but I know I’ll miss the prospect of running into her around El Paso or sharing a beer with her and just talking. Her passing leaves a big hole in our community.”

DR. CRISTINA MORALES Associate Dean of Research for the College of Liberal Arts, Associate Professor of Sociology

“Dr. Natalicio’s vision positively transformed the entire El Paso community and beyond. She was tough when she needed to be, especially when advocating for UTEP, but also so kind to all her Miners. She led a large institution in a very personalized way where she knew many faculty, staff, and students by name. Her legacy will live on for generations.”

DR. CATIE MCCORY-ANDALIS PHOTO BY MICHAEL A ROMAN/THE PROSPEC TOR - DR. DIANA NATALICIO ANNOUNCE S UTEP’S R ANKING BY WA SHINGTON MONTHLY, 2015

MS. ANDREA CORTINAS

DR. CLIFTON TANABE

DR. JAMES E. PAYNE

DR. LESLIE ROBBINS

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Dean of College of Educationy

Dean of School of Nursing

“Dr. Natalicio’s life is a prime example that one person can make a difference. She led UTEP through a transformative process that affected the lives of thousands of people, including my own. My Abuelita, an immigrant with a second grade education, always instilled in me the drive for higher education because it was something she had not been privileged to have, but knew had the power to change our lives.

It was Dr. Natalicio’s philosophy and work that made my Abuelita’s dream of higher education for me a real thing and transformed not just my life, but the trajectory of my family.”

“Diana Natalicio changed public higher education, not just in El Paso or Texas, but for the country.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that her vision for creating an inclusive R1 research university, designed to leverage the assets that students bring to college, set the tone for innovative American higher education.”

Dean of the College of Business Administration

2016.

Natalicio is named on the Time magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People list.

2014

2015

2017.

She is named among the Top 50 world Leaders

by Fortune magazine.

2016

“While many in the El Paso community recognize and appreciate the dedication and hard work of President Natalicio in providing a transformational educational experience for so many in the region, her impact upon higher educational transcended the region and should be noted as well. Her emphasis on the link between educational access and social mobility is very much a topic of national discussion for those in higher education and public policy circles.”

2018.

UTEP designated an R1 top ties doctoral and research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

2017

“Dr. Natalicio was a positive force in education. Her dynamic leadership was instrumental in helping transform UTEP into the R1 university we are today. We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn from her example, and we will continue her mission of access and excellence.”

Associate Vice President and Dean of Students

“Dr. Natalicio worked tirelessly to expand educational opportunities and ensure access to higher education. She transformed lives.

She loved UTEP and more importantly, she loved UTEP students.

I am incredibly thankful to have worked with Dr. Natalicio for more than 15 years and grateful for the impact she had on my life and so many others. I will cherish the time we had together particularly our trips to Bhutan. We lost a tremendous leader, fierce advocate, champion for student success and a good friend. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Diana Natalicio but am committed to her legacy of access and excellence.”

Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019.

UTEP announced its status as an R-1 university.

2019.

Natalicio is the all time longest serving female president of a four-year public university. She also announced her retirement later that year.

2018

2019

THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021

Page 8 NEWS

Texas’ restrictive voting bill becomes law

BY VICTORIA RIVAS The Prospector

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the voting bill, SB1, into law Sept. 7, despite various quorum walkouts by Democrats.

The new law limits voting options, including overnight and drive-thru voting initiatives used by voters of color in the past presidential elections.

“Proud to sign Senate Bill 1 into law, which will uphold the integrity of our elections in Texas,” said Abbott via Twitter.

In July, over 50 Democrats in the Texas State Legislature traveled to Washington, D.C., to deprive the Legislature of a quorum and block the controversial bill.

“We will not stand by, and witness Republicans silence the voice of hard-working Texans. Texas Senate Democrats are committed to

ensuring our elections are free, fair, and accessible for every Texan,” said Texas Senate Democrats in a press release.

Gov. Abbott called two special legislative sessions amid the walkouts and threatened to arrest the Democrats upon their return.

Texas Democrats made a similar move during their regular legislative session in May, which ended a similar bill to SB1 by staging an 11-hour walkout to break quorum. “[We] decided to take matters into our own hands in order to secure the voting rights of Texans, especially voters of color, seniors, and those with disabilities,” said Texas Senate Democrats.

The new law also increases criminal penalties for voting mistakes. It grants more authority to partisan poll watchers at voting sites and implements further restrictions for

mail-in voting.

“Some people don’t have the resources to go and vote, and these options offered in past elections facilitate the voting process and allows them to be heard,” said Mirella Martinez, a UTEP marketing student.

Texas joins 18 other states, including Florida, Georgiaand Iowa, who have enacted new restrictive voting laws in 2021, according to a tally by a Brennan Center for Justice.

“The new voting law in Texas signed by Gov. Abbott is one of the most restrictive in the nation,” said Vice President Kamala Harris via Twitter. “The bill limits the options that enabled a historic number of Texans, especially citizens of color, to vote safely in our last election.”

Former President Donald Trump claims there was voter fraud in the 2020 elections and blames his loss

to voting initiatives by counties like Harris County.

“This law will make it easier to vote and harder to cheat in the Lone Star State,” said Abbott via Twitter.

Michael Gallardo, 20, a UTEP business student, believes SB1 directly affects Texans’ voting rights and limits opportunities for minority groups.

“It is our right to vote, and not everybody has easy access to get up and go to the polls at certain locations. For those individuals, Gov. Abbott took away their easy access and limited their rights,” Gallardo said.

Several lawsuits have been filed since SB1 was signed into law, including a lawsuit by Voto Latino, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, and Texas American Federation of Teachers.

“Not only are we filing suit to protect the right to vote for all people of color, and the additional 250,000 young Latino Tejanos who will reach voting age in 2022, but to protect every Texan’s right to vote,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO of Voto Latino in a press release. “A thriving, healthy democracy demands maximum participation by all eligible voters. It’s time lawmakers stop the assault on voting rights and instead compete for our votes with ideas.”

President Joe Biden said the new Texas voting law is an “assault” on democracy, and he assured his administration would work to protect citizens voting rights.

“Voting should be accessible; it is a right that we have as Americans,” said Gallardo.

Victoria Rivas may be reached at prospector@utep. edu; @VicRivas_18 on Twitter.

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THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021 · PAGE 9

Arts & Culture Get blooms at Florafest!

Victoria Rivas, editor

Centennial Museum hosts 27th native plant sale

BY KRISTEN SCHEAFFER The Prospector

Florafest is around the corner as we progress into the cooler weather.

The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens wil host thier 27th annual Florafest from 9 a.m. until they sell out, on Oct. 9 at the UGLC plaza.

The event is a native plant fundraiser for the museum; Florafest is the only fundraiser held by Centennial Museum. They will have plants ranging from trees, shrubs, flowers, and cacti; there will be yuccas and agaves, a variety of plants to choose from, according to Kevin Floyd, Botanical Curator and Organizer for Florafest.

“It’s a chance for people to buy native and desert plants for their landscaping while also getting to talk to master gardeners and other people who know about the plants,” said Floyd. “I think there’s a perception that any sort of drought-tolerant landscaping is very barren, that it’s just rocks and cactus.”

Florafest started as a way to unite people with native plants that were not available within the local nurseries. It was not long afterward, in 1999, that the garden was started by Winn Anderson, the first curator for the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens.

According to the Centennial Museum, she was known for collecting and pressing plants; she used her art and writing to encourage the community to conserve the region’s natural history. A lot of her work was donated to different institutions of UTEP, which makes her collection the oldest preserved plants collected locally. You can find more on Elsie Slater at Centennial Museum, where they have an

PHOTO BY ANNABELLA MIRELES

“Where will we grow exhibit” on display in the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens.

exhibit.

Floyd explains the gardens help highlight the native plants and prove deserts aren’t boring by showcasing the diversity of the plants scattered throughout the Chihuahuan desert.

“This is a slightly unique botanical garden because it’s really just focused on plants from the Chihuahuan desert,” Floyd said. “We’ve got probably about 600 different species of plants tucked into this

little space.”

Not only are gardens used to educate and spotlight the more common native plants, but they are also home to some plant species that are considered endangered in the wild.

The garden helps conserve and prevent the endangerment of the common plants.

It has been a long time since UTEP held a Florafest in the fall, Floyd explained. He’s excited since the fall is a great time for the plants

because of the weather, and they experience less stress.Depending on the success, having two sales a year, the fall and spring, would be beneficial.

They hope to expand the gardens and grow more plants on campus, by ringing new plants to campus and collecting more seeds from the wild to grow here on campus for conservation, Floyd said.

“If people are interested in plants to keep their eyes open for the

spring sale, but also that I think there’s just a lot of interesting growing plants now that the pandemic seems to have created this demand for plants and so students can come to Florafest,” said Floyd. Volunteer opportunities are available for anyone who is interested.

Kristen Scheaffer may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

Apple releases the new iPhone 13

BY EDUARDO A. FLORES The Prospector

Apple has officially launched its newest generation of iPhones with four different models claiming to have upgraded in design and features.

Pre-order sales began Sept. 17 to help customers secure their orders early for delivery or pick up at the nearest Apple store. The new iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and Pro Max release date was set worldwide for Sep. 24.

The upgrades included in the iPhone 13 contain a brighter display, longer battery life, expansion of storage, and advancement in

ANNABELLA MIRELES/THE PROSPECTOR

Preorder sales for the new iPhone13 began Sept. 17.

cameras.

The new iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen compared to the iPhone 13 and Pro models, which have a 6.1-inch screen, and the iPhone 13 mini with a 5.4-inch screen.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max introduced a new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion, supporting an adaptive refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz, for fast frame rates. Apple says the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a max brightness of 1,000 nits for specific content and 1,200 nits for HDR content.

Also, all four iPhone 13 models are equipped with the A15 Bionic

chip providing power efficiency.

On iPhone 13 Pro Max, the battery life can get up to 2.5 more hours of durability, and the iPhone 13 Pro up to 1.5 more hours.

With an increase of 128 GB storage for all base models, the price of the iPhone 13 mini starts at $699, while the iPhone 13 costs $799.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 models come in five new colors: pink, blue, black, white, and red.

According to (PRODUCT) RED officials, customers who buy the red option contribute to the Global Fund to combat COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro see IPHONE 13 on page 10

Page 10 ENTERTAINMENT

THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021

Hueco Tanks hosts 27th Interpretive Fair

BY KRISTEN SCHEAFFER The Prospector

Hueco Tanks State Park will celebrate its 27th Annual Interpretive Fair next month. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17, guests are welcome to attend various events ranging from traditional performances to educational tours around the park to learn more about the region.

“The Interpretive Fair is a weekend event where we invite the community to come out and experience Hueco Tanks,” said Nicole Roque of Texas Parks and Wildlife. “We have exhibitors from all over the region come to share not only the ecological importance of our region, but the cultural and historical importance.”

In the late 1990s, Hueco Tanks State Park was shortly closed to the public due to neglect. New regulations were instated to care for the park; a capacity limit of 70 people in the self-guided area and mandatory orientations were put in place to protect the resources the park had to offer.

“We really want to show the El IPHONE 13 from page 9

and Pro Max become available in four finishes, including graphite, gold, silver, and all-new sierra blue in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. However, the option of 256 GB is the only version of the iPhone 13 that can support 4K videos. The Pro and Pro Max start at $999 and $1,099, respectively, but depending on

Paso community that this place is really important, it’s really special and we want them to care about it as much as we do,” said Roque.

The fair became a means to educate the community on the region, the culture, and the history. Roque said that the fair became a way to share the park with everyone whilst protecting the land.

At the fair, the community can find educational exhibits ranging from the history of the interpretive center as a ranch house for the Escontrias Family, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo social dancers, various excursions to see some of the 3,000 pictographs in the region, and even do their own self-guided tours. The National Parks Service will designate a National Historical Landmark during the weekend as well.

Texas Parks and Wildlife highly encourages the community to come out and see what the state park has to offer. Along with the educational tours, Hueco Tanks will be open recreationally and the community is welcome to come for a regular hike with picnic sites available.

“It is the one weekend out of the storage, the price may increase to $1,599.

Apple also presented the Cinematic Mode as a new feature in all iPhones 13 models. Cinematic mode is an advanced computational algorithm for video functions similar to Portrait Mode for photos. It also can record videos with a shallow depth of field and add automatic focus transitions for

PHOTO COURTESY OFJACOB GARZ A

year that it is free to come out to Hueco Tanks. There are no capacities… we just invite the community to come out and have a good time,” said Roque.

For more information, guests can check out Hueco Tanks State Park at their website tpwd.texas.gov/ state-parks/hueco-tanks, or on Facebook, Instagram, or call (915) 857-1135.

Kristen Scheaffer can be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY OFJACOB GARZ A

Ysleta Del Sur dancers, pictured here from the 2019 Interpretive Fair, will again host social dances during this weekend’s events.

a cinema-grade look due to the new sensors and lenses.

“The new camera system gets its biggest advancement ever with new Ultra-Wide and Telephoto cameras that capture stunning photos and video, powered by the unmatched performance of A15 Bionic, more powerful than the leading competition,” Apple said in a statement Eduardo Flores may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.

INTERPRETIVE FAIR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS SATURDAY, OCT. 16 • 10 a.m., Tour to Umbrella Cave; GeoVentures Geology Tour • 11 a.m., guest speaker; pictograph tours • Noon, hiking, pictograph tours

• 1 p.m., Ysleta del Sur social dance group • 2 p.m., Hike to Mescalero Canyon; Friends of Castner Range National Monument

• 3 p.m., tour to White Horned Dancer Pictograph; What‘s in a Hueco? Aquatic Tour (easy)

SUNDAY, SAT. 17 • 10 a.m., hike to Mescalero Canyon • 11 a.m., Ballet Folklorico Cuahtli; tour to Umbrella Cave; Hike to Cave Kiva • Noon, hike East Mountain

• 1 p.m., Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Social Dancers; tour to Cueva de Leon • 2 p.m., Music of the Mountains tour; Friends of the Castner Range National Monument

• 3 p.m., What‘s in a Hueco? Aquatic tour• 3 p.m., tour to White Horned Dancer Pictograph; What‘s in a Hueco?

Aquatic Tour (easy)

THE PROSPECTOR · OCTOBER 5, 2021 · PAGE 11

Sports

Emily Autumn Velasquez, editor

Miners rally past the Monarchs

BY DANNY LOPEZ The Prospector

The Miners (4-1,1-0) win in a thriller against Old Dominion University (ODU) (1-4 0-1) Saturday night, Oct. 10 at the Sun Bowl. The Miners took a commanding 17-0 lead in the first quarter, and the defense also played a part in that by forcing two sacks, two turnovers, and stuffing Old Dominion’s run game. In the second half, the Miners struggled at times to get the ball moving but were able to find enough rhythm to win the game 28-21.

In the start of the first half, Old Dominion began to move the ball on the Miners defense, however, Walter Neal Jr was able to force a turnover that would put UTEP inside Old Dominion territory.

Sophomore wide receiver Jacob Cowing moved the chains on a third and long from a long ball that was thrown by redshirt sophomore quarterback Gavin Hardison, giving the Miners a spark on the offense. UTEP could not punch it in for a touchdown so instead settled for a field goal to take the first lead of the game 3-0.

UTEP continued to drive the ball down near their goal line and were able to score a touchdown after a pass to the corner of the endzone thrown by Hardison to Garrett to increase the Miners lead 10-0.

Old Dominion tried to answer UTEP’s score but could not answer as the Miners stout defense got a sack from Walter Neal Jr. and forced a three and out.

The Miners converted another fourth down behind redshirt freshman Deion Hankins’ strong running that put them at the 10-yard line near the endzone. The Miners were able to punch the ball in for a touchdown after a pass from Hardison to Tyrin Smith to increase the Miners lead 17-0.

Right before the half, Old Dominion managed to score a touchdown after a pass from quarterback D.J. Mack Jr. to cut the lead to 17-7 with the Miners still ahead at the half.

In the start of the second half, the Miners began with the ball but were called for a delay of game that would push them back near their own five-yard line. They were able to move out of danger and get a pass from Hardison to Cowing that went all the way passed the 30-yard line near the red zone.

UTEP unfortunately could not score the touchdown and walked away with a field goal to make the score 20-7.

Old Dominion moved the ball down the field with ease with passes from Mack. The Monarchs would score on a quarterback draw from Mack from inside the five-yard line to cut the lead down to 20-14 with the Miners still ahead.

UTEP went three and out when trying to answer the Monarchs score. On the next play special teams would get their punt blocked and the Monarchs returned it for a touchdown to take a 20-21 lead.

On third and eight, Hardison completed a dime pass outside

ANNABELLA MIRELES /THE PROSPECTOR

Running back Willie Eldridge hypes the crowd Oct. 2 during the UTEP 2021 Homecoming game.

the numbers to Garrett for a huge first down. UTEP then was able to power it in for a touchdown from Hankins on a wildcat play. UTEP then went for the two-point conversion and would convert to make the score 28-21.

“We played really, really good football the first 28 minutes of the first half. We executed and we had the one drive that ate up almost the whole second quarter, and it was really, really big for us. We finished drives but had to settle for a field goal on one of those drives.” Head Coach Dana Dimel said in the post-game press conference.

At the 4:00 mark, the Miners defense began to sink their teeth and force Old Dominion into long yard situations after stuffing a run by Mack and stripping away a pass for an incompletion. Innyang would suddenly pick off Mack for a huge turnover to give the ball back to the offense.

At the 3:00 mark, UTEP’s defense stepped up to stop the Monarchs on fourth down.

“I just felt like the whole time we were the better team and were going to find a way to win the game,” Coach Dimel said in a post-game press conference.

The Miner’s defense once again answered the bell with 30 seconds to go, the Miners forced an incomplete pass on fourth down to seal the game and claim a 28-21 victory.

The Miners finished with 333 yards on offense, while the defense finished with two turnovers and two sacks.

UTEP faces The University of Southern Mississippi Saturday at 5.pm. Oct. 9 at Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Danny Lopez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu

NHL Dallas Stars hand Arizona Coyotes their first loss

BY EMILY AUTUMN VELASQUEZ The Prospector

The Arizona Coyotes (3-0-1) traveled to El Paso to take on the Dallas Stars (1-1-2) on Oct. 3 in the Kraft Hockeyville USA preseason matchup. This game took place at the El Paso County Events Center where the Dallas Stars managed to come out with their first win of the

season after a score of 6-3.

The game managed to sell out and those in attendance received a rally towel on their seats as a souvenir. El Paso was awarded the opportunity to host this preseason game after winning America’s most spirited hockey community in America.

Other prizes included $150,000 in rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz, as well as $10,000 worth of new

equipment from the NHLPA Goals and Dreams fund.

About six minutes into the first period, Arizona managed to get on the scoreboard after a shot from Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, with an assist from teammates Clayton Keller and Alex Galchenyuk. This score came after a power play thanks to Dallas right wing Denis Gurianov getting two

minutes in the penalty box after being called for cross-checking.

This gave the Coyotes an early lead of 1-0.

Dallas was next to put a point on the board about 11 minutes into the first period. This point came from defenseman Thomas Harley with an assist from teammate and center Mavrik Bourque to make the score 1-1.

About 18 minutes into the first period, Dallas managed to get another point on the board after a shot from left wing Jamie Benn, with an assist from center Tyler Seguin. This goal put the Stars ahead of the Coyotes 1-2.

The first period ended with the Stars up 1-2 over the Coyotes. see HOCKEY on page 12

HOCKEY from page 11

In the early portion of the second period, Arizona was able to get a goal thanks to forward Liam O’Brien with an assist from defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin to tie the game 2-2.

After nearly 12 minutes into the second period, Arizona was able to score a goal off a power play from center Christian Fischer, with an assist from Jan Jenik and Victor Soderstrom. This gave the Coyotes the lead with a score of 3-2.

Dallas decided to strike back 14 minutes into the second period

after a shot from center Ty Dellandrea with an assist from defenseman Alexander Petrovic.

The score at the end of the second period was 3-3.

Four minutes into the third period Dallas center Joe Pavelski managed to score a goal with an assist from Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley. This put the Stars ahead of the Coyotes 3-4.

After 15 minutes into the third period, Dallas took advantage of the power play opportunity and center Tyler Seguin managed to get a goal with the help of Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. This

extended their lead over the Coyotes to 3-5.

Nearly at the end of the third period, Dallas center Radek Faksa managed to score one final goal for his team with an assist from Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen.

The Dallas Stars managed to shut out the Arizona Coyotes in the third period which is what helped them win the game with a final score of 3-6, handing the Coyotes their first loss this preseason.

Emily Autumn Velasquez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu ; @emilyautumn20 on Twitter

ALBERTO SILVA FERNANDEZ /THE PROSPECTOR

Jacob Peterson, a center for the Dallas Stars makes a pass against the Arizona Coyotes.

UTEP volleyball gear up for rivalry game against LA Tech

BY KATRINA VILLAREAL The Prospector

UTEP volleyball will meet Conference USA (C-USA) rival Louisiana Tech (LA Tech) Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 at the Memorial Gymnasium. The Miners have had the best start in program history with a record of 11-4 as they look to continue their winning streak in these next two games.

Louisiana Tech is currently 6-12 and 0-4 in conference play. In a game against the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on Sept. 25, LA Tech lost in a four-set match 3-1. Despite the loss, LA Tech had some key players as well as key plays. During the game LA Tech had out-blocked UTSA 12-7, with sophomore middle blocker Morgan Smith recording four total

blocks. Freshman libero/defensive specialist McKenzie Johnson recorded her seventh game with 20+ digs, as well as served three more ace serves. Sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Murray led the LA Tech offense with seven kills.

In a win against non-conference opponent New Orleans on Sept.

18, LA Tech was able to send the game to a five-set match. This match also had some hard hitters with senior outside hitter/opposite Jordyn Carswell recording her fourth double-double of the season, along with 10 kills and a seasonhigh of 15 digs and sophomore outside hitter Faith Menary leading the offense with 19 kills. LA Tech out-blocked New Orleans 12-6.

UTEP Volleyball is currently 11-4, recording their best start in

program history; the Miners are currently 0-2 in conference play after losing both games against C-USA rival Rice University. The Miners have had a lot of accomplishments this season including its first win over a Big 10 affiliate (Northwestern) in school history, first win versus a Power 5 school since 1995, first sweep over a Power 5 school since 1985, and the first time with two Power 5 wins on the same day (Northwestern and Arizona).

In a win against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) on Sept. 23, the Miners were able to send the game to a four-set match. UTEP achieved a season-high of 13 blocks along with the second-most assists (61). Junior middle blocker Yasso Amin, red-

shirt junior middle blocker Kenidy Howard, and senior outside hitter Paulina Perez Rosas, each recorded double-digit kills; both Amin and Howard achieved a career-high in kills during the game. Contributing to the win sophomore defensive specialist Alyssa Sianez had 12 digs, and sophomore setter Hande Yetis led the team with three aces and 28 assists.

“We did a lot of things wrong, but we also did a lot of things right,” Wallis said. “I’m glad we got this nonconference match in before Rice because it tested us and it was an intense environment.”

This is the ninth time that UTEP meets Louisiana Tech; the Miners currently lead the series 7-2. The last time these two teams met was Mar. 22, 2021, in Ruston, LA,

where UTEP came out on top winning all three matches (3-0). The Miners currently have a win streak of four matches against Louisiana Tech and look to continue the streak.

UTEP hosts Louisiana Tech 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 8 . and 12 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Memorial Gym. All stats for Louisiana Tech found on Louisiana Tech Athletics official website, latechsports.com All stats and quotes for UTEP found on UTEP Athletics official website, utepminers.com.

Katrina Villarreal prospector@utep.edu.

may

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